ICU, burn ward of civil hospital in state of neglect

Even as the intensive care unit, burn ward, ventilators, air-conditioners and monitors are lying non-functional at the Shaheed Babu Labh Singh Civil Hospital for the past several months, the hospital authorities have decided to spend Rs 50 lakh they got for renovation work on the whitewash of six wards and repairing just 24 toilets.

The amount has been sanctioned by the state government against an estimated cost of Rs 3 crore for the renovation work at the hospital.

Moreover, the hospital has no specialist doctor, particularly at the ICU, due to which those suffering from heart and other serious ailments are being referred to private hospitals.

The burn ward also needs urgent attention.

Of the 129 toilets at the civil hospital, only 24, including four for hospital staff, will be repaired with the grant issued by state government last week.

Tenders worth Rs 46.80 lakh were floated for renovation for which work has been started by a contractor.

Surprisingly, toilets of 10 private rooms which have been lying locked for the past few years in the old building, will also be repaired by the contractor with this grant.

On December 20 last year, the state health minister Surjit Kumar Jayani visited the hospital and expressed shock over the poor shape of the building.

The minister was unhappy with the sorry state of affairs after seeing leaking water pipes and blockage in sewerage.

Even basic equipment like ventilators, air-conditioners and monitors were found non-functional.After inspection, the minister had promised to develop it as a model hospital with state-of-the-art infrastructure.

The minister called up the director of health services, Karanjit Singh, the same day after a team of engineers with the latter visited the hospital the next day and prepared a report.

A report was sent to the health minister who approached chief minister Parkash Singh Badal for seeking financial assistance and was successful in getting Rs 50 lakh grant.

"We want to revamp the basic amenities in the first stage of renovation process and hence toilets are being repaired. Once this gets over, tenders for other works will be floated," Chahal said.The grant*The state government has sanctioned Rs 50 lakh against an estimated cost of Rs 3 crore for the renovation work at the civil hospital *Of 129 toilets at the hospital, only 24, including four for hospital staff, will be repaired with the grant issued last week *Tenders worth Rs 46.80 lakh were floated for renovation for which work has been started by a contractor* Toilets of 10 private rooms lying locked for few years in the old building will also be repaired with the grant

"We want to revamp the basic amenities in the first stage of renovation process and hence toilets are being repaired. Once this gets over, tenders for other works will be floated."—Harlabh Singh Chahal, PHSC superintendent engineer